Carlo Paalam proved a year away from the ring didn’t dull his fighting spirit. The Tokyo Olympics silver medalist stormed back from a lengthy injury layoff to reach the men’s 55kg quarterfinals at the Asian Games.

Fighting at Nishio Gymnasium in Nagoya, the 2018 Jakarta Asiad bronze medalist leaned on veteran poise. He outlasted India’s Jadumani Mandengbam, a Commonwealth Games silver medalist, via a 3-0 split decision.

Grit and Adjustment After a Long Layoff

Paalam praised his opponent for pushing him through the final round. “Mahusay din ang Indian, kapag bago gusto nila matalo ang may pangalan na. Nakisabay na lang ako sa kanya sa huling round,” he told POC Media.

He also said his body handled the return to live competition well. “Sobrang ganda po yung laban namin. Tsaka nag-adjust din po talaga ako sa taas ng ring kanina po kasi yun nga, first time ko lumaban ngayon,” he said.

Paalam called the bout a true test of his conditioning after months away. “Thankful po ako sa performance na nilabas ko kasi nahatak yung endurance ko po… kahit pagod po. Parang si Pacquiao lang po eh, na ibubuhos buhay talaga yung boxing po,” he added.

He said the scorecard mattered less than knowing he left everything in the ring. “Gawin lang namin yung best namin po. Kada laban po at least wala kaming pinagsisihan sa taas ng lona po. Kasi sacrifice namin yung panalo talaga,” he explained.

Faith, Family, and a Plea for Support

Paalam credited his faith, his teammates, and coaches Ronald Chavez and Elmer Pamisa for his successful return. He said their support carried him through the toughest parts of his recovery.

He also asked Filipino fans for patience and prayers instead of criticism. “Wag po kami i-bash kasi sobrang hirap ng laban dito po… suportahan nyo kami, hindi nyo kami iba-bash kasi pagdala palang ng pangalan namin dito, dala namin Pilipinas,” Paalam said.

He added one more line to drive the point home. “Hindi lang apelyido namin, bayan namin dala namin po,” he said.

Paalam will next face China’s Jiamao Zhang for a spot in the semifinals. Fellow Olympic medalist Nesthy Petecio was set to open her own campaign against Jordan’s Mays Alrerm Abukhadijah in the women’s 60kg division.

Petecio is aiming to join Paalam and Junmilardo Ogayre in the quarterfinals. Before wrapping up, Paalam sent her a message of encouragement: “Para kay ate Nes, goodluck sayo ate, gawin mo yung best mo, lahat kami nakasuporta sayo… para sa bayan po,” he said.